August 2002

Text and Photography by Stephen Frink

Saturday, July 27th

Travel to Nassau is easy (usually) and is available from many North American gateways via a variety of carriers. This day, we chose Bahamasair because they had the best (on paper) schedule, assuring we could get up at a reasonable hour and still make an afternoon shark dive with my friends Stuart and Michelle Cove. After getting to Miami International in plenty of time to allow for security delays, we sat at the departure gate for another 2 hours due to airplane availability (or lack thereof). Of course, being so late out of Miami meant we missed our afternoon dive, but we did stop by Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas to say hello.

Stuart and Michelle have been friends of mine for many years, and I have seen their operation grow from a tiny dive service serving the upscale residential complex at Lyford Cay to one of the most eclectic and successful dive operations anywhere. They are hard-working hands-on managers who actually enjoy meeting and even diving with their guests. Whatever the formula is, it works. I could tell from the expanded retail, the new boats, and the number of guests milling about on the docks that recreational diving is alive and well at Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas.

Since it was so late in the afternoon, all we could do was make a plan for the next day and go check into our hotel. The new plan: a morning shark dive with Stuart Cove. Definitely something to look forward to.

The Aqua Cat boards guests from their slip at the Hurricane Hole Marina on Paradise Island ay 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Most people fly into Nassau on this day, but our plan was to have all day Saturday for me to dive with the shark dive while my wife and daughter could spend the day at the gorgeous Atlantis Resort complex on Paradise Island. Actually, we had planned to spend the night at Atlantis as well but they were sold out (book well in advance), but another option exists at the Comfort Suites just across the street and the same access to the Atlantis amenities is available.Stuart Cove's offers complimentary pick-ups from the hotels on New Providence Island, so at 7:30 a.m. my friends Dennis and Daniel Liberson joined me aboard the bus for the ride to the southwest end of the island. Stuart had our Nitrox and his shark chum already loaded aboard one of his 42-foot custom dive boats, and by 9:00 we were en route to our planned rendezvous with the Caribbean reef sharks along the Tongue of the Ocean at Shark Wall.

Rather than do the customary sharkfeed along the sand amphitheater, Stuart suggested we place the bait box on the forward deck of a sunken Bahamian Defense Force cutter intentionally sunk at this site. That would give us some different backgrounds, so I eagerly concurred.

Immediately after hitting the water, I realized this shark dive had changed since I last visited 2 years ago. There were more sharks, and if possible, they were more eager for the bait. Stuart placed the bait box on the deck and we had a constant swirl of sharks without even putting bait in the water. In fact, it remained a more controlled and predictable encounter without feeding. Less detritus in the water too. After a great shoot on both film and digital, we went back to the boat to plan a second shark encounter.

By the end of the first dive, I had plenty of shots of the sharks, as well as sharks with Stuart in the background. What I did not have was a classic "bite" shot. In the past, we had done this shot with a bit of bait on a spear, which Stuart used to lead a shark to my dome. At the moment the eyes rolled back in their nicatating membrane and the jaw fully extended, I'd click the shutter. At least that was always the plan even if the sharks had other ideas. This day there were so many sharks, and they were swarming the box so closely that it was impossible to really do a controlled feed. (Stuart later explained that when they have a film shoot with a script calling for only one or two sharks they often set two bait bins, and divide the resident shark population.) Regardless, the sheer mass of sharks made for a very electric and productive shark feed. Thanks again to Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas for yet another wonderful photo opportunity.

While we were out shark diving, our families were enjoying the water slides, restaurants, but gratefully not the casino, at Atlantis. My daughter knew the property vicariously after having seen Mary Kate and Ashley's movie shot on location there, so I think it was especially fun for her to see the real thing. By our 6:00 p.m. check-in to the Aqua Cat, we had all had a great day on New Providence.

Aqua Cat

The first vision of the Aqua Cat is definitely reassuring. She is impressively large, and obviously well cared for. With the crew assisting with the mass of luggage our group brings, we quickly settled into our spacious cabins, got dive gear set up along the dive deck, and quickly got underway for the long evening steam to the Bimini Islands.

Our Week's Adventure Aboard Aqua Cat

The normal Aqua Cat itinerary involves cruising throughout the islands of the Exumas and enjoying the combination of beaches, walls, shallow reef, and shark diving found there. Which of course would be a full week by any standard, but I had the idea it would be fun to add spotted dolphins to the mix as well.

There are a couple of very reliable areas in the Bahamas where snorkelers can interact with Stenella plagiodon. One is the famed White Sand Ridge off West End Grand Bahama, but that is a long run from Nassau and would mean we'd be searching for dolphins at the expense of available dive time. Bruce and Peggy Purdy, owners of Aqua Cat, suggested the spotted dolphin grounds off the Biminis. Our mutual friends Bill and Nowdla Keefe of Bimini Undersea have been running day trips to interact with these dolphins for years and have enjoyed a very high percentage of successful encounters. And, while a long run to the Biminis and back to the Exumas, it seemed a good opportunity to grab a few dives off Bimini and the Gingerbread Grounds with at least a better-than-average chance of swimming with spotted dolphins.

So, with the much-appreciated cooperation of Aqua Cat, we altered the itinerary to include the first couple of days spent around the Bimini islands and the latter part of the week doing the marquee attractions of the Exumas.

Sunday, July 28th

After a long 110-mile, 11-hour steam from Paradise Island, we awoke to a slightly bumpy day cruising the bank for dolphins. It was a hard discipline for our guests to be on location in the Bahamas, but not able to go diving yet. But long hours of cruising or equally long hours at anchor are what dolphin trips are all about--a few moments of frenetic and inspirational activity interspersed with long hours of boredom. At any rate, we gave it a try that first morning and then went off for a dive on the wreck of the Hesperis.

The Hesperis ran aground here many decades ago, but the crew was unsure of the exact history of the vessel and I couldn't find it among the reference books on board. It is largely scattered, but the stern and bow remain more intact than amidships. The stern in particular holds massive schools of grunt, and stingrays are very common as well. Apparently the Hesperis is best known as a night dive for the loggerhead turtles constantly in residence, but we found it very productive during the day as well, despite marginal visibility.

Following lunch, we planned a dive on the Sapona, a Ferro cement shipwreck sitting off South Bimini, notable for its large fish populations and photogenic propeller. Here, we made a tactical error. We knew from talking to Nowdla Keefe on the radio that Dolphin Happy Hour would be around 3:00. I thought we could get a quick dive in on the Sapona and still be back on the bank in the late afternoon, but the very strong current on the wreck this day really slowed our dive progress, and also gave us a bit more drama than we would have hoped for the first day out. In retrospect, we traded a pretty mediocre dive (due to the sloppy conditions this day) for our best shot at dolphins. It was my fault, as the Aqua Cat was happy to do whatever our group desired, but I didn't predict the time commitment that afternoon dive would entail. Sorry gang. It didn't help when we talked to the vessel Bottom Time on the radio that afternoon and they told us they had their one and only dolphin encounter at about 3:00. Our dolphins no doubt, and we missed the appointment. Oh well. Gratefully, our group was pretty relaxed about the whole thing, but the spotted dolphins would have been outstanding.

That night we did get the night dive in on the Hesperis, and as promised she delivered at least a half-dozen loggerheads, eels, stingrays, and a few barracuda who didn't seem particularly happy with my strobe light.

Monday, July 29th

In all the years I've been diving the Bahamas, I had never visited the Gingerbread Grounds. It was not for lack of trying or lack of interest, for I had always heard good things about the region. But it is too far for a land-based dive boat, and not on most live-aboard itineraries. So, this was an interesting opportunity for me, but maybe not at the optimal time. The wind had been blowing pretty steadily over the past week, and the shallow waters on the Bahama Bank were very stirred up and had an unusual greenish cast. Even the turbid water did not diminish my enthusiasm for the quality of the coral reef at the sites we visited. I found Leilani to offer excellent hard corals and very unusual concentrations of deep water gorgonians in only 35 feet of water. The second site, Dark Star, was extraordinary for small reef critters and offered a great series of photos on a very cooperative barracuda who had taken residence in the shade of the boat. With my Seacam D1X and 60mm lens, I was able to capture tight head shots, and when for a moment he yawned (or whatever fish do when they open their mouth so wide), the quick recycle of my Ikelite 200 nailed the hot-shot of the most impressive teeth.

Tuesday, July 30th

We had another long boat ride last night in order to get back to the Exumas. To really appreciate the distances covered, you'd have to look at a map of the Bahamas. The Biminis and Gingerbread Grounds are quite a ways to the northwest of New Providence, while the Exumas are to the east. Clearly, the Aqua Cat was doing us a favor in terms of wear-and-tear on the crew and increased fuel consumption to accommodate our custom itinerary, and I think we all sincerely appreciated their effort. If we had hit the dolphins it would have been so much better, but we tried, and captains Ron and Mark were with us at every step trying to make it happen. Now we were back on their normal turf, the Exumas, and we asked them to show us their marquee sites over the next three days and nights.

Our first dive was at Blacktip Wall. The sponge and vertical orientation of this drop-off was impressive, but the huge--absolutely massive--school of Atlantic spadefish that awaited us upon our return to the boat was outrageous. I hadn't seen a school of spadefish like that in 15 years, and the convenience of underwater photography from a live-aboard became evident as I was able to return to change film and lenses several times while we remained on the mooring.

As compelling as the wall had been, the Aqua Cat was offering the choice of a dive or a beach excursion simultaneously. Since I knew the beaches in the Exumas to be world-class, and since my 9-year old daughter Alexa needed a shore break, I took a chance and went on for the beach excursion. And a lucky thing it was too, as we visited a sandbar I knew well from having shot a Victoria's Secret bathing suit campaign there a couple of years ago. It was still the same beautiful blue water and the exquisite powdery white sand, but without the models, art directors, stylists, caterers, and wardrobe coordinators that accompany a big production. Of course my photographer's day rate was absent this day as well, but it was especially nice to share such a gorgeous locale with my wife and daughter.

The hot dive this afternoon was to Amberjack Reef for a shark dive. In just 40 feet of water, the Aqua Cat crew tethers a frozen 5-gallon chumsickle in midwater while dozens of Caribbean reef sharks dash in to frantically devour the bait. As good as the photo opportunities are during the feed, it actually is a little better once the bait is gone--the sharks still hang around, and the water becomes more clear and the activity less frenzied. Nor are sharks the only critters to photograph. Large black and Nassau groupers are easily approached, as is the big school of horse-eye jacks that school in the shade of the boat.

Wednesday, July 31th

We started this morning with a visit to the Exuma Land and Sea Park Headquarters to shop for T-shirts and souvenirs in their gift shop and play along their beach. As a special side attraction, there are a couple of small lemon sharks that are used to finding food along the end of the dock and weren't too awfully disturbed by our presence. While I never got the in-my-face shot I hoped for here, the combination of the shark encounter and the excellent over/under opportunities on the beach made for a lovely morning.

As relaxed as a stroll along the beach might be, at the other end of the adrenaline scale is the drift dive at Wax Cay Cut. I have done this drift when the tidal current is really racing, and it is hard to stop for any reason, including taking a picture. You just ride along and enjoy the scenery. This day the drift was reasonably swift, and definitely hard to swim against, but by anchoring in the right bit of sand or rubble it was possible to grab a couple of rolls of wide angle. Given the beauty of the hard corals and filter feeders, as well as the crystalline electric blue water, this was a terrific dive.

After another wonderful lunch (courtesy chef Matt and sous chef Lise), we sampled a couple of nice shallow reefs, Hammerhead Gulch and Basket Star Reef. In only 25 feet of water, these reefs delivered good populations of angelfish, especially cooperative queen and gray angels. There were a few reef sharks cruising the perimeter of the coral heads, but without bait they weren't very interested in getting close to us. There were a couple of resident turtles at Basket Star, and by now the water had gone slick calm and clear so that it was possible to stand on the bow of the boat and actually watch the photographers below approaching the turtles. It was a little surreal to be able to see so well into the water below, but these kinds of water conditions are what summer in the Bahamas is all about.

The Aqua Cat Conundrum - Of course you can't do everything on the Aqua Cat, for there are often shore excursions happening at the same time as the dives. So you have to choose. Some trips are gorilla groups, and all they care about is dive, dive, dive. So that's what Aqua Cat does. Other groups are more like ours, appreciative of both the topside and underwater beauty of the Bahamas. I tried to do some of each, but this day I stayed to enjoy the shallow dives while others opted for the trip to Norman's Cay, the island of drug-running infamy in the 1980s. The druggies are gone, but apparently the turquoise water and powdery white sand beaches remain. My wife told me it was the most beautiful beach she had ever seen anywhere. As described it sounded like a world-class photo opportunity, but one I gave up for an angelfish. Was it a good trade? Probably not, and if I had it to do again I'd go to the beach. Everyone will have their own priorities on these trips, but now having experienced both the topside and underwater wonders of the Exumas, to ignore the terrestrial is a mistake, in my opinion.

Thursday, August 1st

At Dog Rock Wall, we found massive black corals, maybe the largest I have seen anywhere. The glass minnows were swarming along the swim-throughs along the edge of the wall, and the combination of blue water and stunning sponge formations made this a very popular dive. The beach excursion to Ship's Channel Cay gave us additional wide-angle opportunities with snorkelers, although it was getting pretty hard to slow my daughter Alexa from her shell quest to pose for pictures. Still, she recognized underwater photography as our "family farm" and so when I told her modeling for my pictures was kind of like milking a cow at dawn, she might have understood--a little bit anyway.

We survived the sharks with Stuart Cove and we survived the sharks at Amberjack Reef, but the most aggressive predators we encountered this trip were the iguanas at Allan's Cay. During some part of the day, every day, someone is feeding these creatures cookies or bread or fruit (actually they seem to like the cookies and bread better, junk-food iguanas that they have become). Given their poor eyesight and ravenous nature, we had to be quite careful not to get nipped. In the warmth of the late afternoon light, the combination of the blue water, white sand, and friendly (maybe over-friendly?) iguanas made for an interesting break from our 5-dive-a-day offering aboard Aqua Cat.

Friday, August 2nd

I have been doing these kinds of expeditions long enough that by the end of the week I'm really ready to get home. But on this trip, it all went too fast. I think our whole group was a little sad to have left the Exumas and find ourselves this morning with Nassau so large on our horizon. Yet a couple of good dives remained, including the Blue Hole and Periwinkle Reef. The Blue Hole is a perfectly circular oceanic blue hole, maybe 30 yards in diameter and dropping to about 170 feet. Inside are a resident school of sharpnose sharks, a loggerhead, and a couple of nurse sharks. The visibility was definitely not as good as we had been having in the Exumas, but the wealth of marine life made this a worthwhile dive. Periwinkle is close enough to the dive shops in Nassau that they include it on their daily snorkel itineraries, and consequently the fish are desensitized to divers. Well, judging by how they swarm a bit of proffered bait, "desensitized" is a bit of understatement. But for up-close-and-personal images of sergeant majors, grouper, and friendly gray angels, this was a nice interlude. And in only 20 feet of water we weren't loading nitrogen for those flying home early the next day.

• Private bathroom with shower.

• Hair dryer.

• Oversized berths.

• Bar refrigerator.

• Individually controlled air-conditioners.

• Port and starboard cabin have two large windows with shades. Cabin 11 has a skylight with a shade.

• Carpeted floors.

• Two large tables with seating for 24 in cane-style cushioned chairs.

• Beverage area dispenses soft drinks and beer on tap and icemaker.

• 7 three-seat cane lounges.

• Two televisions with VCRs and DVDs.

• A video editing area (multiple formats).

• A photo light table.

• The ship's boutique.

• Three outdoor tables.

• BBQ grill and griddle.

• Television with VCR (multiple format).

• Photo station with large work area and three shelves for camera storage. 110v & 220v outlets for battery charging.

• Two enclosed showers.

• One toilet with sink.

• Two dive ladders.

• Rinse hoses with hot & cold water by each dive ladder.

• Two freshwater rinse tanks.

• 6 sun loungers.

• Bar area with soft drink and beer taps, and an icemaker.

Stephen Frink MFT Photo Tour aboard Aqua Cat, July 27 - August 2, 2002

1. Ana Maria Avila

2. Bernie Campoli

3. Tom Carrasquillo

4. Ann Carrasquillo

5. Barbara Doernbach

6. Stephen Frink

7. Alexa Frink

8. Steve Hutchinson

9. Blaise Kovaz

10. Karen Kovaz

11. Christopher Kovaz

12. David Kovaz

13. Dennis Liberson

14. Tracy Liberson

15. Daniel Liberson

16. Hanna Liberson

17. Alexa Liberson

18. Phil Napoli

19. Kathy Rabe

20. George Robinson

21. Janet Robinson

22. Julie Steyaert

General Destination Information: With 700 islands, 2,500 tiny cays, and 100,000 square miles of ocean containing it all, the Bahamas collectively comprise a massive scuba and snorkel paradise. Yet to know but one part of the Bahamas is to experience a small vignette of a grand and impressive whole. I've found that these islands justify a lifetime of exploration, for the dive and snorkel opportunities are diverse and constantly evolving.

Can I snorkel?
Yes, anytime the boat is anchored. You need to bring mask, fins and snorkel. If you don't have them, we have some available for rent. If you have not snorkeled before, the crew will be happy to instruct you.

Sharks - To those unfamiliar with the day to day patterns and behavior of sharks, it seems almost unfathomable that anyone would willingly put one's self close to them. This, however, is precisely what our passengers do every week. People have been diving with sharks in the Exumas since 1992 without any incidents. There are no records of divers being bitten in the Bahamas other than those who tried to grab or touch a shark, who were spearfishing or who were hand-feeding sharks. To keep our shark dive safe for both customers and crew, we lower a frozen chumsicle from the surface so that no people get near the food. The primary sharks we have on our dives are Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks.

Shark Identification:
Historically, sharks left the area when scuba divers entered the water. The bubbles from the regulators scare them off. Since shark dives started in the Bahamas many of the sharks have lost their fear of these bubbles. Has that made them more aggressive towards divers? No, but your chance of seeing a shark on a non-shark dive has increased greatly. Instead of diverting their course several hundred feet away from you, they now continue their planned course that frequently brings them close enough to be seen. This is a list of the sharks that have been seen on our trips:

I'd like to give a special thanks to my old friends Bruce and Peggy Purdy for creating a world-class live-aboard for us to enjoy in the Bahamas, and to my new friends aboard Aqua Cat for delivering such a professional and hospitable cruise. The only problem I can see with this organization is that they are too darn popular. This is a tour I would like to do again, but I hear whole boat charters are hard to come by in the foreseeable future. Oh well--2004 sounds like a good time to be cruising the Bahamas again aboard Aqua Cat. By then, my daughter will be a scuba diver as well, so our family can dive together. Of course, she probably won't like modeling any better then than she does now and I doubt the cow-milking-at-dawn analogy is likely to make an impression.

For more information on Aqua Cat, visit www.aquacatcruises.com. For general dive information in the Bahamas, visit www.bahamasdiving.com. For details on shark diving with Stuart Cove see www.stuartcove.com, and to contact Stephen Frink visit www.stephenfrink.com.

Aqua Cat Information

The Aqua Cat has a very complete and well-organized web site, and details of the vessel below were gleaned by a visit to www.aquacatcruises.com.

The new 102-foot catamaran, Aqua Cat, offers luxury accommodations, a spacious main salon and an extremely smooth ride. Her ability to cruise at a speed of 14 knots will get you to dive sites quickly while her 35-foot beam will ensure a smooth ride. The eleven passenger cabins are some of the largest of any live-aboard in the world.

CABINS

Cabins 1, 2, 3 & 4 each have two twins. Each of these cabins can accommodate one or two additional passengers in fold down-berths. This is great for a family or friends that would like to reduce their costs. Cabins 5, 6, 7 & 8 can be configured as either two twins or one king. Cabins 9 & 10 have one queen and one twin. Cabin 11 has two twins. This cabin has a skylight instead of windows.

DINING / SALON AREA

ALFRESCO DECK

DIVE DECK

SUNDECK

VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS

Length overall: 102 ft., 31.0m

Beam: 35.5 ft., 10.8 m

Draft: 6 ft. 1.75 m

Speed: 14 knots

Year built: 2001

Trip Preparation Bulletin:

Aqua Cat Guest Capacity - 22 pax. in 11 double staterooms

Guests (in alphabetical order):

History - Even though the islands of the Bahamas are geographically near to the United States, stretching from just 70 miles east of the Palm Beaches to 750 miles to the south, their culture today and their historical development has been quite different. As is the case with many islands in this hemisphere, Columbus was the first European to sight these islands. As any schoolchild knows, popular convention suggests that his first landfall was October 12, 1492, at San Salvador in the Southern Bahamas. Not that it matters in the total scheme of things today, but other researchers suggest that the first landfall might have been at Samana Cay, some 60 miles to the southeast of San Salvador.

In either case, the first local residents Columbus met were probably Arawak Indians, refugees from elsewhere in the Caribbean seeking to escape the vicious Carib Indians around the beginning of the 9th century. Shy and gentle, the Arawaks offered great hospitality to the crew of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, but to their ultimate dismay, the Spaniards were enamored of the gold trinkets they wore. Later incursions by the Spanish forced the Arawaks to work in the gold and silver mines of the New World, effectively decimating the local population with overwork and disease by 1520. The Spanish phrase "Baja Mar," for "shallow sea," was the derivation for the name Bahamas, but in later years the English had far more to do with the development of these islands than did the Spanish. By 1629, King Charles I claimed the Bahamas for England and by 1648 English pilgrims fleeing religious persecution back home settled on an island they called Eleuthera, after the Greek word for freedom. By the 1650s, another group of English immigrants settled on an island they called New Providence due to their family links with a settlement at Providence, Rhode Island. By the end of the 17th century there were over 1,000 British living in the islands of the Bahamas, trying to eke sustenance from farming, fishing, and salvaging the occasional Spanish galleon that still ran aground.

Piracy was part of the local culture back then, and some of the most notorious buccaneers of the day like Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Henry Morgan, and Calico Jack Rackham consistently raided the Spanish galleons transiting these waters. This enraged the British government, causing them to attack Charles Town on New Providence, burning much of it to the ground. The city was later rebuilt as Nassau, named in honor of King William III of Orange-Nassau.

By 1718, the end of piracy was virtually assured with the installation of former pirate Woodes Rogers as the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He riveted the attention of his former associates by hanging eight pirates in a single day in downtown Nassau, and inspired the country's first motto: Expulsis piratis, restitua comercia (Piracy expelled, commerce restored). In 1973 on the occasion of the Bahamas' independence from Britain, then Prime Minister Linden Pindling rewrote the motto with the current "Forward, Upward, Onward, Together."9Experiments with agriculture on these islands were largely met with frustration due to the typically arid climate and poor soil. Plantation life never really took hold here and 1834 saw the freeing any slaves left behind as plantation owners moved elsewhere in the Caribbean. Even though farming was essentially a bust, this island's perfect climate and immense natural beauty suggested a potential tourist industry as early as 1861 when the first hotel on Nassau, the Royal Victoria, was built to accommodate the business and pleasure travel of the era.

Prohibition in the United States brought a temporary boon to the business interests of the Bahamas as rumrunning became a cottage industry in Nassau, Bimini, and the West End of Grand Bahama. But tourism was the steadier growth industry, and by 1929 Pan American Airways began making daily flights from Miami to Nassau. The Vanderbilts and the Astors were likely to winter in these islands in their majestic yachts, and the attraction these islands had to the aristocracy soon trickled down to the masses.

While New Providence was the first island to enjoy true resort hotels and regular air service, the rest of these islands were being simultaneously discovered by the fun-in-the-sun set. Gradual growth in tourism resulted in ever-increasing infrastructure for hedonistic pursuits. Golf courses and tennis courts were built at grand resort hotels, and marinas were constructed to provide for the needs of visiting yachtsmen. The wealth of offshore marine life made these islands a Nirvana for sport anglers. For those seeking a less active or consumptive recreation, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles of unspoiled beach to stroll.

As soon as facemasks became available, snorkelers were peering beneath the surface of these incredibly crystalline waters to marvel at one of the world's great coral reef ecosystems. By 1960, the world's first destination resort for scuba diving had opened in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Scuba diving and snorkeling became inexorably tied to the future of tourism in these islands. **

Climate -** The reason these islands are so perfectly suited to watersports has much to do with their incredible expanse of warm, clear water, and the diverse underwater attractions contained within. One hundred thousand square miles of Atlantic Ocean wouldn't mean much to the sport diver if it were all cold and deep, but in the Bahamas much of this resource lies between the limits of sport diving at 130 feet and within inches below the surface. There are wrecks, reefs, walls, and all manner of marine life; from marine mammals to reef tropicals to perhaps the world's most fascinating shark population. The Bahamas is probably the world's most diverse dive destination, but to understand what is different among these 700 islands, it's important to know what is the same. A highly favorable climate is one common denominator.

The Tropic of Cancer, the traditional determinant of all things "tropical," actually bisects these islands, passing through Long Island and the south end of the Exuma chain. The prevailing climate is moderated somewhat by the influence of the Gulf Stream, a warm oceanic current flowing from the southern Caribbean to the northeastern United States and beyond.

Still, there is a climactic difference between the southern and northern Bahamas as would be expected by a difference of 750 miles in latitude. In the north it is possible to feel the influence of the same sort of winter cold fronts that might affect South Florida. Occasionally, the air temperatures dip into the 60s at night, but a more reasonable expectation is daytime highs of 78 degrees dropping to 70 at night, and for summer perhaps ten degrees warmer overall, bringing air temperatures into the 80s both day and night. In the southern Bahamas, the temperature year-round is 5 degrees warmer on average.As far as I'm concerned, and this probably reflects the opinion of most traveling scuba enthusiasts, the more important weather consideration is water temperature and wind velocity, for both affect potential dive enjoyment. In the winter the water temperature may drop to the mid-70s up north to the high-70s in the southern islands. The summer is absolutely idyllic with water temperatures ranging from the mid- to upper 80s throughout the island chain, making thermal protection unnecessary except perhaps when making multiple dives or night dives.

Wind is a huge variable for divers however. In the summer, from May through October, the prevailing winds are gentle tradewinds that do little to stir the seas. Days of slick calm are the norm and the difference between windward and leeward sides of the island an irrelevant dive determinant. During this period, water clarity of 100 to even 200 feet in some places can be expected. Of course, summer and fall are also hurricane season, but under normal weather patterns, summer diving in the Bahamas is among the best anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.**

Geography -** In many respects the geography is similar, although certainly not identical, from island to island. At one time when the global seas were lower, these islands were part of a large interconnected landmass. As the Ice Age ended and the seawater held frozen at the polar caps melted, the rising sea level made islands of the higher peaks and created a vast submarine plateau known as the Great Bahama Bank. The highest point in the Bahamas is now just 206 feet at Cat Island and only 5,400 square miles of land remains above sea level. There are deep oceanic trenches such as the Tongue of the Ocean that plunge to more than 6,000 feet, as well mangrove forests, shallow sand banks, isolated patch reefs, and extensive fringing reefs surrounding most of the islands, all of which contribute to the dive diversity.

The islands are typically low lying and rimmed by sugary sand beach and dotted with casuarina, pine, and palm trees. Some islands like New Providence and Grand Bahama feature well developed metropolitan centers world renown for their banking, casinos, and shopping. Others are typified by tiny villages where the local populace survives by fishing, a little farming, and providing services to the tourists who come to sample their unique pleasures. These are islands of subtle contrast, where each offers its own unique reward for the visiting watersports enthusiast.

Travel Miscellany

Entry - The Commonwealth of the Bahamas does not require visas, and U.S. citizens need only bring proof of citizenship such as passport, birth certificate, or voter's registration. The latter requires picture ID as well. All travelers must possess an onward or return ticket, and a departure tax of $15 will be levied at the airport.

Money - The legal tender is the Bahamaian dollar, but it is on par with the U.S. dollar and used interchangeably. Traveler's checks and major credit cards are accepted.

Language - English is spoken universally, albeit with a distinct island lilt in some cases.

Electricity - The electric service is 120 volts, 60 cycles, just like in the U.S.**

Time -** The time zone is Eastern Standard Time (GMT+5) from the last Sunday in October through the last Saturday in April, and Eastern Standard Daylight Time (GMT+4) from the first Sunday in April to the last Saturday in October.

Telephone - Local and international phone service is via Bahamas Telecommunications Service (BATELCO), and in many areas AT&T offers its USA DIRECT connections by dialing 800-872-2881.

Car rentals - Visitors to the Bahamas may drive on their own license for up to 3 months. In the Bahamas, drive on the left side of the road.

Photography Tips - The photography in the Bahamas is varied, both topside and under water. The underwater scene includes everything from wondrous wide-angle vistas, sharks and dolphin encounters (we hope) and both fish and macro photography. As there will be above-water opportunities as well, both in terms of island-scapes and beach scenes, sunsets, etc., I'll bring my normal photojournalist kit including a fixed 14mm, plus a 24-120 and 80-200mm zooms.For film, I still like Velvia for most underwater and topside photography. Other suggested options include the new Provia 100 or Kodak Ektachrome 100S. If the water turns green due to local conditions, you may prefer the Provia to Velvia, since Velvia can enhance the greenish cast of the water column. Bring some 400 ISO film as well in case there are dusk or early morning photo-ops, although I expect this to be minimal.

For underwater (film), I'll bring a 15mm for my Nikonos V cameras, and for the RS a 13mm, 20-35mm zoom, and 50mm. I'll pack my Seacam for the F100 for extreme wide-angle (16mm) and over/unders with the Superdome. Of course, I will be relying heavily on my D1X digital with the 105mm, 60mm, 16mm and 14mm lens. The 17-35mm should be a popular optic with housing shooters as well.

If anyone has specific questions about what gear to bring, please give me a call at 800-451-3737 and I'll try to help. As you know, this is a photo tour rather than a seminar so we will not be having structured photo classes. But I am very happy to answer any questions or provide any information I can regarding underwater photography.

Gratuities - Tipping is customary for live-aboards in this hemisphere, and is usually calculated at 10% of the package price. I would think $200 per person would be a generous gratuity.

What should I bring?
The atmosphere on board Aqua Cat is always relaxed and casual. You'll spend your days in bathing suits and casual wear. Bring shorts or jeans, T-shirts and a windbreaker. Also bring a pair of deck shoes, sandals, hat, suntan lotion (non-oil) and sunglasses. In winter, a sweatshirt or sweater is advisable. Our ship's boutique offers everything you need for your cruise (swimsuits, t-shirts, shorts, sundresses, hats and toiletries).

What travel documents are needed?
American and Canadian citizens are required to bring proof of citizenship--passport or original birth certificate along with a picture ID. A passport is required for all other countries.

How do I get to the docks?
With prior arrangements we provide complimentary transfers to and from the boat on the day of arrival and departure. The Aqua Cat departs from Hurricane Hole Marina on Paradise Island. It is just east of the Paradise Island Bridge. The local phone number for the marina is 242-363-3600.**

What time can we board?**
On our 7-day trips you may board any time after 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. If you are arriving earlier, you may drop bags off at the boat prior to 6:00 p.m. The Aqua Cat returns to Nassau Friday afternoon by 2:00 p.m. You will be responsible for dinner ashore Friday evening. We ask that you disembark Saturday by 9:00 a.m. You may leave your bags at the boat if you have a late afternoon flight.

What is our itinerary?
You will have a great time exploring the 365 mostly uninhabited islands of the Exumas with their many beautiful beaches. In addition to scuba diving and snorkeling, you can beach comb, kayak, explore an island, or photograph the iguanas on Allan's Cay. In Nassau and Paradise Island you can enjoy shopping, casinos, and nightlife.

What are the meals like?
We serve three meals a day, as well as snacks and fresh fruits. Fresh fish or lobster is also served, in season. Most meals served will be a combination of Bahamian and American cuisine. A selection of beverages is always on hand, from soft drinks and lemonade to beer, wine and rum drinks. Dinner will be ashore Friday evening.

Can I fish?
Yes, as long as you aren't in the Exumas Land & Sea Park. We furnish all of the fishing gear.**

How much spending money do I need?**
You will need enough for the crew gratuity (10% recommended), spending money for an evening ashore (shopping, drinks, souvenirs), dinner ashore Friday evening and the $15 departure tax at the airport. The Bahamas uses Bahamian dollars, which are equivalent to the U.S. dollar and are used interchangeably. If you have U.S. dollars, there is no need to exchange currency. You can charge your specialty classes, boutique purchases, film processing and crew gratuity to your cabin account. Aqua Cat accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

What is the recommended gratuity?
The live-aboard business is a service industry, and although the general public is seldom aware of it, gratuities are a major part of a crew member's salary. Few other recreational activities rely so heavily upon the professionals in charge for your enjoyment and safety. Besides being at the mercy of Mother Nature, the quality of your experience is based on the people who provide it. The crew members are generally multi-talented and do several jobs on board. They oversee the diving, cook meals, wash dishes, clean heads and cabins, perform engineering duties, and navigate the seas. We strongly believe that gratuities should be voluntary and based upon the quality of the service the crew provides. A gratuity of 10% is customary, but many leave more when they feel the service was outstanding. If you are disappointed with the service, you should inform the Captain of your feelings and leave no more gratuity than you feel is right. The gratuity can be given to the Captain at the end of the week.

Can I scuba dive?
Yes, if you are a certified diver. If not, you may take a full certification course (prior arrangement desirable) or a Discover Scuba Diving course. The minimum age is 10 years old for scuba courses.

What is the diving like?
While the Northern Exumas are only 30 miles from Nassau, there are no dive operations. You can experience truly virgin diving. The Exumas have walls starting at 40', as well as drift, reef, and shark dives. The Nassau area has a variety of wrecks and there is a large Blue Hole between Nassau and the Exumas. For over 30 years much of the northern Exumas has been a National Underwater Park with no fishing, spearfishing or collecting allowed. Because of these laws there are miles of undersea gardens in which coral, sponges and fish abound.

For a fee of $99 our dive instructor will teach you the skills to safely enjoy shallow scuba dives. You will then be able to make two scuba dives with your instructor. (This course does not make you a certified diver). Additional dives with an instructor are $20 each. Equipment is included.**

Can you do open water checkouts?**
Yes. You can complete your open water checkout dives with our instructor. (Prior arrangements desirable.) The cost is $125.

What dive gear do I need to bring?
Certified scuba divers need snorkel, fins, mask, regulator with pressure gauge, buoyancy compensator, u/w watch, and depth gauge. For night dives, a dive light and cyalume stick are required. We provide tanks, weights and weight belts. Between fall and spring, a wetsuit is recommended. See "Do I need a wetsuit?" below.

Do I need a wetsuit?
Between fall and spring, a wetsuit is recommended. The chart below will give you a general idea of the water temperatures and what weight wetsuit you will need. When deciding which wetsuit works for you, consider that you will have the opportunity to dive as many as five times a day and it takes your body a while to warm up. Wetsuit needs are different for everyone. A general guideline follows.

How many dives per day?
You will have the opportunity to do 4 to 5 dives a day Sunday through Thursday including night dives, as long as weather is not a factor. Two dives will be offered on Friday.

Do you offer a shark dive?
Yes, we normally offer at least one shark dive on each trip.

Do you have a VCR monitor?
Yes, we have several VCR monitors with U.S. and European formats.

Is electricity available?
The Aqua Cat has standard U.S. (110 volt) electricity. Charging stations will accommodate European and U.S. guests.

What if I need to be contacted in an emergency?
If someone needs to get in contact with you because of a true emergency, they may contact our office and we will relay the message.

Do we spend a night in port?
The last night will be spent in Nassau. The Exumas are a remote island group and Nassau is the only port on our itinerary.

While people are seldom at risk from shark attacks, sharks are under serious threat from people. Shark populations have suffered large declines because of humans. The demand from Asia for shark fins traditionally used for making soup, has led to the slaughter of many sharks by fisherman. The fishermen remove the fins and discard the rest of the body. A typical shark takes 3-4 years to reach sexual maturity at which time she gives berth to 1-4 pups per year. Less than 25% of these pups reach sexual maturity. If something isn't done soon to protect sharks, their decline may become irreversible. (Shark feeding dives in the Bahamas have helped to educate people about the threat sharks face.) Several years ago, after long-line fishermen slaughtered over 50 sharks, the Bahamas passed laws prohibiting this practice. Recently the Bahamian government has moved to establish no fishing zones around many of the feeding sites.

Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi)

They are the most common sharks and cruise the offshore reefs. The Caribbean reef shark is the primary shark on the shark feeding dive.

They range in length from 5' to 8' to 10'.

The tips of their fins and the lower lobe of their tail are dusky. The blacktip shark also has dusky tips, but its anal fins are pale to white.

The first dorsal fin is relatively small and begins behind the pectoral fins.

Little is known about the Caribbean reef shark's biology. Females bear 4 to 6 pups per litter.

It primarily feeds upon fish.

Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum)

During the day they are normally found sleeping on the bottom under ledges. They are one of the few sharks that have the ability to bite its tail. Because they look harmless, divers have been known to grab them by the tail, causing the nurse to turn and bite its tormentor. This has made the nurse shark the most common shark involved in human shark attacks. Fortunately it has very small teeth and the bites are seldom serious. On our shark dives the nurse sharks like to harmlessly cuddle up to divers.

They range in size from 5' to 9', reaching a maximum length of 14'. They have two barbells on their upper lip. Both of their dorsal fins are approximately the same size and are set far back on their body. They lack a noticeable lobe on their tail.

It feeds primarily at night on bottom-dwelling invertebrates, such as lobster and other crustaceans.

Mating is in the spring. During this time, the female swims into shallow water to avoid mating with undesirable males. The males bite onto her pectoral fins and try to drag her into deeper water to mate. She finally submits when she decides the male is desirable. There are several areas in the Exumas where nurse sharks are known to mate.

Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)

Schools of juvenile silky sharks are frequently seen in the summer at the blue hole and at the offshore sea buoy. They leave both of these sites in the fall. It is not known where they go. Silkys are normally open-water sharks. The females reach sexual maturity at a length of 7'. They give birth to 6 to 14 young.

Adults range in size from 5' to 7', reaching a maximum length of 10'. The sharks we see range from 2' to 3'. Their first dorsal fin is relatively small, rounded and starts behind the pectoral fins. Their second dorsal fin is small and has a long trailing edge.

Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyma lewini)

Divers occasionally see scalloped hammerheads swimming over the reefs or along the walls. The unusual video at right was shot during one of our shark dives. Females bear from 15 to 30 pups, each 17" to 22" long.

Adults range from 5' to 9', with a maximum length of 14'. The front edge of the hammer has a scalloped look. The inside tip of the pectoral fins are dark.

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

Whale sharks are seen only in winter. Some winters we don't see any and other years they are seen most weeks. It is the world's largest living fish. These gentle creatures don't seem to mind divers approaching them. While most people think they are only a plankton eater, they frequently eat fish as large as tuna. We recently observed this behavior when a whale shark's mouth broke the surface in the middle of a school of feeding tunas. Its body was perpendicular to the surface with its tail straight down. It stayed in this position waiting for tuna to jump into its mouth.

Whale sharks range from 20' to 45' with a maximum length of 55'. They are covered by large white spots. The females give live birth to as many as several hundred young.

Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris)

Lemon sharks are known to breed at several locations in the Bahamas including the Exumas. The young lemon sharks stay in the shallow waters around mangroves and in the grass beds until they are about 5' long. They swim the same route every day. Until recently, we had two that swam by the park headquarters every day at the same time. They are also seen in the creeks at Shroud Cay.

Lemon sharks range from 5' to 8', reaching a maximum length of 11'. Their second dorsal fin is almost as large as the first. They have a short, blunt, rounded snout. They feed upon bony fishes, rays, crustaceans and mollusks. Females reach sexual maturity at 8' in length. They mate in the spring and summer and give berth to between 4 & 17 live young one year later.

Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae)

The sharpnose shark is a very shy shark that inhabits the shallow coastal waters. If you are lucky enough to see one, it is likely to be as it swims away rapidly. It is a common prey for larger sharks.

Sharpnose sharks range from 2' to 3' with a maximum of 3'. They have a long flattened snout. Their second dorsal fin begins above the middle of the anal fin and is much smaller then the first. Adults usually have a few scattered spots on their back. Their gestation period is from 10 to 11 months with a litter of 2 to 6 pups, each about 1' long. They feed upon small fish and invertebrates such as shrimp and snails.

Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier)

Although the tiger shark is considered to be one of the most dangerous sharks, they tend to swim away from divers. Our few sightings have been of sharks in the distance.

Tiger sharks range from 7' to 12' with a maximum of 24'. Their lifespan is estimated at 50 years. They have dark blotches on their body. They will eat almost anything with their most common food being turtles, sharks and seabirds. They have a reputation for being the garbage cans of the seas. They have been found with the following in their stomachs: license plates, grass, tiles, cardboard, ropes, shoes, barrels, tin cans, bottles and a birth control container. They give birth to between 12 and 80 pups after a gestation of 12 months.

Rays

Although most people don't realize it, rays are also in the same family as sharks. We commonly see three types of rays; spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari), southern stingrays (Dasyatis americana), and yellow stingrays (Urolophus jamaicensis). Manta rays (Manta birostris) have been seen by a few lucky divers, but are very rare in the Bahamas.